


The Legacy of Asgard

by DizzyDrea



Series: Captain America: The First Sentinel [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29118987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: Steve Rogers emerged from the ice the first Sentinel of a new generation. Not that he has any idea what that means. Now, as he seeks to understand his place in the world, he discovers that there’s more to being a Sentinel than he’d imagined, and learns there’s a vast legacy just waiting to be discovered.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, Maria Hill/Steve Rogers
Series: Captain America: The First Sentinel [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136387
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Those of you who belong to Rough Trade might recognize this as roughly the last third of my RT project from April 2020. After I finished it, I decided to shove it in a drawer until I could figure out how to make it work. Well, I got a bolt of inspiration over the holidays. Turns out, this actually works better as three separate stories. The middle section will be posted at a later date, once I rewrite it. For now, enjoy this piece.
> 
> Disclaimer: Captain America and The Avengers and all their particulars are the property of Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios, and a lot of other people who aren't me. I am doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

"Come on in, folks," Tony said as they entered the large conference room on the Tower's twenty-fifth floor, the one they'd designated as their command center. "It's time for show and tell."

"Alright, Stark," Phil said as they got settled around the table. "What have you got for us?"

Tony stood at the front of the room with Bruce Banner and an SI geneticist named Tom Collins—Doctor Grace Nakashima's husband. Phil and Clint had joined Steve and Maria in the conference room, along with Pepper, Howard and Doctor Grace herself. 

"Tom, you want to take it away?" Tony asked. He dropped into the chair at the head of the table and kicked his feet up onto the surface.

"The addition of the Wakandan DNA really expanded our gene pool," Tom said as he stepped up to the front of the room. "And the data we were able to extract is very interesting."

The screen shifted to show a DNA helix. Bits of the helix lit up, and it seemed familiar to Steve. "That looks like what Doctor M'Benga showed us."

"Exactly," Tom said. He waved at the screen and multiple DNA images showed up. He pointed to each one as he talked. "This is Bruce's DNA. This is mine. And this is a DNA profile from the Wakana database."

"They're nearly identical," Howard said. "Were we expecting them to be different?"

"Yes, actually, we were," Bruce said. "Even though all Sentinels have the same genes, we were expecting some drift based on geographic separation. But there's none. DARPA had identified the cluster of Sentinel and Guide genes about fifteen years ago, but there's not a lot of sharing of data from one country to another, so we didn't really have a good handle on the genetic profile of Sentinels around the world."

"Wait, what you're talking about is natural drift, right?" Clint asked. "I mean, genetic traits that come from one part of the world, carried to another part of the world. And once it gets there, it changes as it's passed down from one generation to the next."

Everyone looked at Clint, who shrugged. "So, I paid more attention in science class than anyone expected. Sue me."

"What does that mean?" Pepper asked. 

"It means that the Sentinel and Guide genes were probably introduced into the world's population by more than one donor," Tom said. 

"How's that possible?" Maria asked. "We've always believed Sentinels were an evolutionary response. What you're suggesting is that these genes were introduced from an outside source."

"That's exactly what we're suggesting," Tom said.

There was silence in the room as that proclamation settled on them.

"So, what? Aliens came to Earth and mated with humans to create the first Sentinels?" Clint asked, breaking into the silence. "I mean, aliens? Please tell me that's not what's going on here."

"It's not like we've never seen an alien before," Phil said quietly. 

"Yeah, but she's not so much an alien," Clint said. "Even if she isn't exactly human anymore."

"You're talking about Carol Danvers," Tony said. When Phil just raised an eyebrow, Tony raised one back. "Everything SHIELD knows, I know. So, I know there are aliens out there. And you're saying that one of them came to Earth and—"

"What we're saying is that it's possible," Bruce said, cutting Tony off before he got carried away. "Right now, we don't have another explanation for why the genes are the same in both populations."

"I looked over the data the Wakandans sent on the sensory acuity of their Sentinels," Doctor Grace said. "Across the board, their senses are as sharp as US Sentinels. If I were to test them side by side with one of our Sentinels, they'd be nearly equal."

"You'd expect some differences due to training or circumstances," Howard said.

"Living conditions alone could account for a lot of differences," Pepper said. "I mean, most of our Sentinels live in cities. From what I understand, that changes how they use their senses."

"We'd want to test Wakandan Sentinels using our own methods to be sure, but it seems likely that they'd test in the same range," Tom said.

"And Guides?" Maria asked.

"Same thing," Bruce said. "The genes are identical in both populations, and functionally, the populations are indistinguishable."

"Any way we can get DNA data from other countries?" Phil asked.

"I have some contacts I can use," Tony said. "And King T'Chaka could probably help with that. Whatever contacts I don't have, he probably does. He's a big mover and shaker behind the scenes at the UN."

"Pardon the interruption, sir," JARVIS said.

"What've you got, J?" Tony asked as he sat up and dropped his feet to the floor.

The screen shifted from the DNA images to a picture of a desert.

"What are we looking at?" Phil asked as he leaned forward.

"I have detected an anomaly," JARVIS said. "Upon closer inspection, it does not appear to be a meteorite."

The image zoomed in, but they really couldn’t tell what was at the center of the crater. It was too small to be a meteorite, that much Steve could tell.

"Send a team from the LA office to secure the scene," Tony said. "And have them report back on what they find."

"Yes, sir," JARVIS said.

Phil got up and walked over to the screen; Tony stood and joined him.

"What do you think?" Phil asked.

Tony reached out and zoomed the picture in as close as he could. It was blurry and hard to make out what exactly they were looking at. 

"Is that…?" Clint asked. He got up and walked over to the screen. "That sure as fuck looks like a hammer."

"A hammer wouldn't have survived re-entry," Maria said.

"Whatever it is, it's stuck in the dirt in the desert of New Mexico," Tony said. He turned around and looked at the group, a grin forming on his face. "Who wants to go on a field trip?"

~o~

"Well, it's a hammer alright," Clint said.

They were standing at the edge of a crater about twenty feet deep, staring at something that shouldn't be there.

Tony had sent a security team from SI's Los Angeles office to secure the scene. What they'd found when they got there, according to the head of the team, was a redneck barbeque. There'd been at least thirty people drinking and eating—more drinking than eating if the reports were accurate—and attempting to pick up the hammer with no luck.

Security had chased off the rednecks and secured the perimeter so no one else could access the area. Tony had packed them all onto the Bus and headed out as soon as the scene was secure. 

None of them had actually believed they'd find a hammer in the desert, but there it was.

"Should we go down there?" Maria asked. 

"J, can you scan the area for radioactivity?" Tony said.

He'd brought a small drone with him that he'd launched as soon as they got to the crater. All the data was being fed to the starktab in his hands. Steve had no idea what kinds of data he was getting, but if there was anything to learn, Tony would know it before they left.

"Certainly, sir," JARVIS said. "I am picking up low level Gamma radiation from the artifact."

"Gamma radiation?" Banner asked. He was back in New York, neck-deep in research and by all reports having a grand time. Tony had asked him to be on comms during this part of the mission so they could get his opinion on the situation before they went in. "Be careful. Gamma radiation exposure is no joke."

"The levels are low and tailing off as we speak," Tony said. "I'd bet within the next 24-48 hours they'll be nonexistent."

"That's… unusual," Banner said. "Gamma radiation doesn’t have that short of a half-life. Are you sure about those readings?"

"Pretty sure," Tony said. 

"I am also detecting some electromagnetic interference," JARVIS said. "There appears to be a storm brewing, though I have nothing on radar to suggest that there is a storm front moving through."

"Is that sort of thing normal for New Mexico?" Phil asked.

"Dunno," Tony said. "Never been to New Mexico before."

"Historical data suggests that fall in New Mexico is cold but not rainy," JARVIS said. "Average rainfall for November is less than an inch."

"So, it could just be a normal rain pattern for this time of year," Clint said. 

"Yeah, and this year it's raining hammers," Tony said. "It doesn't look like it's too dangerous down there. Bruce, you see any reason why we can't take a closer look?"

"The radiation levels aren't any worse than an x-ray at your dentist's office, but I'd still suggest you limit exposure," Banner said. "We don't know why it's got radiation clinging to it, and that makes me suspicious."

"Noted," Phil said. 

"I'd rather Clint and I go down first," Steve said. "Before we expose anyone else to what's down there."

"You'll get no argument from me," Phil said. "Just be careful."

Steve and Clint made their way down the crater wall, slipping a little on the loose dirt. By the time they reached the bottom, they were both sweaty and covered in dust. They'd both need showers when they got back to the bus.

"So, what do you think, Cap?" Clint asked as they circled around the artifact.

"I think it's a hammer," Steve said.

Clint laughed. "Sass. I love it. Who knew you were a smartass?"

"My father knows," Tony said. 

Clint and Steve were wearing comms units, but they didn't really need them to be able to hear Tony speak. Still, they'd left them on so they could communicate with JARVIS and the rest of the team.

"So, this thing looks old," Clint said. "It's huge, and it's got all these weird markings on it. Nothing looks familiar, though."

"It looks like it's been used," Steve said. "The leather on the handle is worn, like someone's been carrying it around."

Clint reached out and wrapped his hand around the handle, giving the hammer a good tug. Nothing happened.

"It's embedded pretty solidly in the ground," Clint said. "I can't budge it."

He let go and Steve stepped forward. He took hold of the handle and gave a light tug. Immediately, the rock released the hammer. Steve fell back onto his ass, the hammer flinging out of his hand and skidding across the crater floor.

"Whoa, you okay, Cap?" Clint asked as he rushed over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Steve said. He sat up and dusted himself off. "Just my pride wounded at this point. From the way you were yanking on it, I figured it'd take more effort to pick it up."

"Maybe I loosened it up for you," Clint said with a grin.

"Maybe," Steve said. 

He was dubious about that, because the hammer hadn't moved even a little when Clint had tried. Steve stood up as Clint walked over to the hammer. Clint tried picking it up again, but it didn't move for him. Steve joined him, pondering the interesting dilemma.

"It's like it doesn't want me to pick it up," Clint said. 

Tony scrambled down the crater wall, Maria and Phil following him. "Let me try."

He reached out and grabbed the handle, giving it a good tug, but the hammer wouldn't budge.

"Huh," Tony said. "This is what the security team reported when they got here. No one could move the hammer, no matter how hard they tried. There was even one guy who tried towing it out with his truck. It pulled the bed off the truck, but the hammer didn't move. I thought it was just bullshit."

"Looks like they weren't yanking your chain after all, no pun intended," Maria said. She looked at Steve. "Can you pick it up again?"

"I can try," Steve said. 

He reached out and picked up the hammer as if it weighed nothing. There was a hum under his skin, and a crackling like thunder in his ears. He set the hammer down and it all went away.

"That's odd," he said.

"What's odd?" Clint said. "That you can pick up a strange hammer that fell from the sky? I'd say that's a little more than odd."

"No, not that," Steve said. "It felt like… lightning under my skin. Like when you scoot your socked feet across the carpet and then touch a doorknob."

Phil reached out and grasped the handle, even though he clearly couldn't lift the hammer himself. "I don't feel anything."

Each of them touched it in turn and reported the same thing: no sensation at all. Steve picked it up again, just to be sure he wasn't imagining things, but it was the same as before. Humming and crackling as long as he was holding it.

"Maybe you just have an electric personality, Cap," Clint said.

Tony snorted. "Well, we shouldn't just leave this thing laying around. Evidence suggests that no one else would be able to just walk away with it, but I'm not eager to find out if that's true. Especially with the small bit of radiation it's emitting."

"Do you have someplace shielded to store it until we know more about the radiation?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, there's a shielded cabinet in the lab in the cargo area," Tony said. "Go ahead and grab the hammer, Paul Bunyon. We'll get some dinner and try to sort out some of these readings."

"Fine by me," Steve said. He picked up the hammer, dialing down his senses just a bit so he could ignore the sensations that the hammer was giving him.

"You okay?" Maria asked. She ran a hand down his free arm, grounding him with her touch.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Steve said. "It just… tingles a little."

"Okay," she said. "But you let me know if it gets to be too much."

"Thanks," Steve said. "I'll put it in the trunk of the Range Rover. That way I don't have to hold on to it the whole way back to the plane."

They'd had to land the plane at an airfield about ten miles away from the crater, so it wasn't too far, but Steve didn't really want that low-level irritant the whole way back. 

Clint jogged ahead and opened the trunk. Steve set the hammer down in the SUV and watched as it dropped, as if they'd dropped a load of bricks in the trunk area. 

"You sure that's not going to cause problems?" Phil asked.

"The whole SUV has been reinforced," Tony said. "Bullet-proof glass, extra shielding in the door panels, blast shielding under the carriage. The suspension's also been beefed up, so it should be able to handle it."

"This thing's a fucking tank, Stark," Clint said. "No wonder it drives like a pig."

"Can't be too careful, Legolas," Tony said. "History—some of it mine—suggests that vehicles are soft targets."

He stepped around and got into the back seat, still staring at the readouts on his tablet. The drone flew over and settled into the back of the Range Rover, right next to the hammer and shut off.

"Home, Jeeves," Tony called out. 

"I fucking swear to God if he stars calling me that, I'm gonna kill him," Clint muttered as he headed for the driver's seat.

Steve just chuckled. He waited for Maria to get in, then slid in beside her. Once they were all in the vehicle, Clint started the engine and drove off.

~o~

"So, apparently the Gamma radiation that was clinging to the hammer has almost completely dissipated."

"How's that even possible?" Maria asked.

They were sitting around a large table in the main cabin sharing a meal of Chinese take-out that Tony had had delivered shortly before takeoff. It was mostly cold, but Steve had always liked leftover Chinese food, so he didn't mind.

"Oh, fuck if I know," Tony said, waving his chopsticks around. "I sent the drone back to the crater for some more scans. The dirt is lousy with Gamma radiation. The only thing I can think of is that the hammer picked up the radiation on the way through the atmosphere, because as it stands now, the hammer isn't the source of the radiation."

"Do we know where it came from?" Steve asked.

"The markings on the hammer are Scandinavian in origin," JARVIS said. "They resemble markings used in the stories of Norse mythology."

"Wait, are you telling me that what we have in a cabinet downstairs is Mjolnir?" Clint asked, leaning forward.

Tony blinked at him. "And just how do you know what the hammer's name is? For that matter, why does it have a name? Is it a special hammer? Limited edition? Does it come with spinners if we pay a little extra?"

"Stark," Maria said wearily.

"There's a lot of downtime on missions," Clint said. He leaned back and dug into the broccoli beef he'd been hoarding since they sat down. "I tend to read whatever people leave laying around. Up to and including some printouts of fanfiction. Those bitches are freaky."

"I'm not even going to ask what any of that means," Steve said. "But what I do want to know is… well, are you saying that Norse mythology is real?"

There was silence as each of them contemplated that idea. It was Phil who finally spoke.

"I've seen some things in my years with SHIELD," he said quietly. "Things that would stand your hair on end, and things that would make you question the meaning of life. I can't say for sure that Norse mythology is real, but I can say I wouldn't rule it out. We know there are populated worlds outside this solar system. What we don't know is who lives on those worlds or what life is like there."

"Pardon me, sir, but there's been another anomaly," JARVIS said.

"Same place?" Tony asked?

"This anomaly touched down approximately ten miles outside a town called Puente Antiguo," JARVIS said.

A map appeared on the screen above the bar. Tony got up and wandered over, tapping on the screen to zoom in on the site.

"Nothing out there," Tony said. "How long ago did it ping your sensors, J?"

"Approximately thirty minutes ago," JARVIS said. "There was a thunderstorm, so it took some time to separate the readings of the anomaly from the storm."

Maria got up and joined Tony at the screen. "Did it deliver anything? I mean, the last anomaly dropped a hammer out of the sky. Did this one leave anything behind?"

"Nothing that I was able to observe," JARVIS said. "There was a vehicle traveling in the area, but it is now headed for Puente Antiguo."

"Show me," Tony said.

The satellite feed shifted to a large van bouncing down the road. Steve leaned forward. "Do we know who the van belongs to?"

"I have not been able to get a clear picture of the license plate," JARVIS said.

"Keep track of the van, J," Tony said. "If they're just Sunday drivers, no big deal. But if they know something about the anomaly, we should probably talk to them."

"Understood, sir," JARVIS said.

"This just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser," Clint said.

"Alice in Wonderland," Steve said, pointing at the younger man.

"And you know that because…?" Tony asked, turning around to give Steve a raised eyebrow look.

"Because I was a scrawny, asthmatic kid," Steve said, raising his eyebrow in return. "I spent a lot of time at the library, reading. I read the classics before Disney turned them into cartoons."

"Good point," Tony said.

"So, what do we do now?" Clint asked. "Speculation aside, we don't really know where the hammer came from or how it found its way to the desert of New Mexico. And beyond the hammer, there's nothing much else out here."

"We should probably go into town and see if we can interview any of the party-goers from yesterday," Phil said. "They were first on scene—video surveillance aside—so they may have seen something we didn't. Plus, if that van was headed for Puente Antiguo, we may be able to find the occupants and interview them as well."

"JARVIS, see if you can dig up any more data on the hammer and its suspected Norse mythological connections," Tony said. When the rest of them just looked at him, he shrugged. "What? It could be bullshit, but it could also be an honest-to-Norse-god mythological artifact. Plus, the fact that He-Man over here was the only one able to pick it up makes me suspicious."

"Fair point," Phil said. 

"Any word on where SHIELD is?" Maria asked. "This used to be their purview. I can't believe there's no one from SHIELD lurking around, looking at the anomaly or anyone connected to it."

"I have been monitoring SHIELD's communications," JARVIS said. "They have not dispatched anyone to New Mexico, nor have they accessed any satellite data on the anomaly."

"Maybe Fury doesn't have anyone left he'd trust with this," Steve said. "Who would it have been before?"

"Me," Phil said. "I'd have been the one he sent to look into this."

"You kept your head during the whole Kree/Skrull thing," Clint said. "That sort of made you the only choice for this type of situation."

"What Kree/Skrull thing?" Steve asked. "For that matter, what's a Kree/Skrull?"

"The Kree and the Skrull are two alien races that don't much like each other," Tony said. "Well, to be fair, the Kree don't like anyone, but they especially don't like the Skrull. They both wound up on Earth back in the nineties. Chasing the Tesseract, if I'm not mistaken."

"Stark," Phil said, rubbing a hand over his face. "You're not supposed to know any of that."

"Then I won't tell you how I know what I know," Tony said with a grin. "Besides, that just proves that aliens aren't a new thing on Earth."

"Are we hoping it's aliens?" Maria asked.

"Would make things interesting," Tony said.

"I don't think we need things to be any more interesting than they already are," Phil said.

"And just like that, he's cursed the whole thing," Clint said. He dropped the container of Chinese food on the table. "I'm gonna go double-check the gear. Odds are shit's gonna get real and we're gonna need it."

"I'll help you," Maria said. "I want to make sure he remembered to pack all the special toys."

"For you, my dear, only the best," Tony said. "I'll go poke the hammer some more. See if I can figure out what it's made of."

"Just don't wreck it," Phil said. He turned to Steve. "You want to help with the research?"

"Sure," Steve said. "It beats sitting around watching Tony try to tear a hole in the universe."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Tony shouted back as he headed for the stairs.

Clint just laughed as he followed him down the stairs.

~o~


	2. Chapter 2

~o~

"Sir, I have located the van," JARVIS said the next morning as they were all having coffee and breakfast.

"Show me, J," Tony said.

The monitor above the bar flickered to life showing a satellite view of a dusty, run down old town. 

"What are we looking at here, JARVIS?" Maria asked as she leaned on the bar.

"This is Puente Antiguo," JARVIS said. "I tracked the van to this building at the edge of town. It formerly housed an automobile dealership. The building is currently being leased by a Doctor Jane Foster."

"What do we know about her?" Phil asked.

"She is an astrophysicist and a professor at Culver University," JARVIS said. "She is currently researching a phenomenon known as the Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

"I know who Einstein is, but who's Rosen, and what do they have to do with a bridge?" Steve asked.

"Basically, what she's researching is wormholes," Tony said.

Steve frowned. He'd read a lot of science fiction when he was younger, which was pretty much what that sounded like.

"Think of a wormhole as an astronomical bridge between two fixed points," Tony said. "It would make it possible to travel a far distance in a short amount of time."

"Is that really a thing?" Clint asked. "Because it sounds more like Star Trek than the future of mankind."

"Eh, depends who you talk to," Tony said. "I've personally never seen one. Do I think they exist? Maybe. Do I think a person could use one to travel between planets? No, I don't. It'd be like ground beef through a straw. Not the best way to arrive at your destination."

"Ew," Clint said. "Thanks for that, asshole."

Tony just laughed. "There's also the issue that we don't know whether an Einstein-Rosen Bridge would remain fixed. It's entirely possible that either end—or both—could jump around, which wouldn't make them ideal for travel to or from Earth if you couldn't predict where the other end was going to be."

"So, she's tilting at windmills," Maria said. "Who funds something like that?"

"Foundations, universities, Millennium prizes," Tony said. "There are plenty of people who'd give their right arm for a scientific discovery, even if it proved to have little value to humanity. The bragging rights alone are usually worth the investment. Plus, you never know when you might be able to leverage someone else's discovery into something useful."

"Where is Doctor Foster now?" Phil asked.

"She is at her home base in town," JARVIS said. "There are two men and a woman with her. The woman is Darcy Lewis, a student at Culver University and her lab assistant. One of the men is Doctor Erik Selvig, also a noted astrophysicist. I have no information on the other man in their party except that his name is Thor. Doctor Foster took him to the hospital yesterday afternoon. Apparently, he was considered unstable and had to be restrained and sedated. He escaped sometime yesterday, though the hospital records aren't clear as to when."

"Please tell me you didn't hack the hospital database, Stark," Maria said, rubbing a hand over her forehead.

"Okay, I won't," Tony said, flashing a mischievous grin.

Steve just groaned. "Is this like when you hacked SHIELD? Because I thought we'd talked about that."

"I like knowing things," Tony said. "Besides, we need to know who the players are if we're going to know what our next move is."

"Anybody but me think it's suspicious that the guy they seem to be hanging with is named Thor?" Clint asked.

"He's not the God of Thunder," Maria said, shaking her head. "There's just no way."

"And yet, we have a hammer in the cargo bay," Steve said. "I may not be much for flights of fancy, but I think that's a coincidence I'd like to know more about."

"What say we go pay them a visit?" Tony asked. "We're not going to get answers to our questions without talking to Doctor Foster and her friends."

"Can we bring the hammer?" Clint asked. "I'd pay good money to see a guy named Thor try to pick it up."

"Clint," Phil said in that longsuffering tone that suggested he'd heard that or something like it many times in the past.

"What?" Clint asked. "Tell me you're not curious, too."

"Come on," Maria said. "Let's get going. It's going to be a long drive. I'd like to get there before lunch."

~o~

They pulled into Puente Antiguo mid-morning and headed straight for the car dealership on the edge of town. According to JARVIS, Doctor Foster and her friends were still there. Steve could admit—even if only in his head—that he was curious to see if this Thor person could lift the hammer. They'd put it in the back of the SUV, just in case, though Tony had made fun of them the whole time.

Maria rolled the SUV to a stop a block away from the dealership and put it in park. As soon as she stepped out of the vehicle, her knees buckled. Steve rushed to catch her before she collapsed on the ground.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked urgently as he cradled her body. 

It all felt eerily familiar to the day she came online, which sent chills down his spine. It hadn't exactly been a great experience, and definitely not something he was looking to go through again.

"Yeah," she said shakily. "I'm good. Just… it was overwhelming. There's a Sentinel here. Really powerful. Can't you feel it?"

"I don't…" Steve paused and took a deep breath. He could sense the thrum of power in the air, but Maria's distress had completely blotted that out. "I feel it. Like when we were in Wakanda."

"Only more," she said. She wobbled to her feet, unsteady at first until she'd gotten her feet under her.

"She okay?" Clint called out.

Steve turned to find Phil's face buried in Clint's neck. "Yes, she's okay. She says she senses a powerful Sentinel somewhere close by. What about Phil?"

"He's a bit unsteady," Clint said. Steve could hear the distress in his voice. He could sympathize. It wasn't the best feeling in the world to have your Guide go down and be powerless to stop it. 

Phil pulled back, stretching his neck and rolling his shoulders. Steve could see his breathing even out as the moments ticked by. "I'm—"

"Do not fucking say you're fine," Clint said. "You're not fine. You almost fainted."

"I did not almost faint," Phil said, frowning. "My knees went week. The air felt thick, like right before a storm. It made the hair on my neck stand on end. And there was this feeling of…"

"Power," Steve said. "Latent power, hanging in the air. It's what I felt when the King and Queen of Wakanda removed their suppression cuffs."

"It's got to be someone in the town," Maria said. "Because no one related to Doctor Foster or her research is a Sentinel. JARVIS would have found it if there were."

"Well, unless you guys object, I say we go knock on their door and find out what's going on here," Tony said. "Who knows? Maybe the Doctor has discovered some new element or a better mousetrap."

~o~

They approached the car dealership warily. The sensation that had nearly put Maria on her knees was getting stronger, which made no sense. According to JARVIS, none of them were Sentinels or Guides, so what exactly were they sensing?

Tony strolled up to the double doors, hands in his pockets. Steve stood to his left and Clint took the right, both their Guides following behind without having to be told. All three men leaned on the windows and peered inside, Tony raising a hand to shield himself from the glare of the morning sun. 

There were four people inside. A petite woman with brown hair that had to be Doctor Foster; a second woman—younger, if Steve was gaging ages correctly, with darker hair —who was most likely Darcy Lewis; an older man and a man who literally looked like a god. He figured the older man was Doctor Selvig; JARVIS had told them that the Doctor was a friend of Doctor Foster's father, so it made sense. Which meant the other man was Thor. 

Steve had scoffed at the idea that this man was really Thor, the God of Thunder, but looking at him now, he thought maybe it was true after all.

They appeared to be making breakfast. Tony, obviously impatient to meet them, pulled the front door open and strolled inside.

"Excuse me," Jane Foster said, hurrying over still holding a plate with eggs and toast. "This is my building. You can't just barge in here. Who do you think you are, anyway?"

"Me?" Tony asked, affecting an air of innocence that absolutely no one would believe. He sat down at the table, practically ignoring the rest of the people in the room. "I'm Tony Stark. You may have heard of me. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

"You're Tony Stark?" Ms. Lewis asked eagerly. "You look taller on TV. Then again, maybe it's the armor. Do you really fly around in a red metal suit?"

"Darcy," Selvig said in a low tone. 

"No, no," Tony said, waving a hand. "She's not wrong. The suit does give me a couple of inches."

"Wait, you're _the_ Tony Stark?" Foster asked. She dropped the plate on the table with very little ceremony. Darcy tugged it over to her seat and started eating. "The one who builds all those bombs and guns and—"

"Clean energy and cell phones and tablets, among other things," Tony countered. "I've shifted my focus recently. Make technology great again and all that."

"And who are these other people?" she asked, waving her hand around. "Are you here to steal my research?"

"We're not here to steal your research, Doctor Foster," Phil said as he stepped forward. "My name is Phil Coulson, Guide, and this is my Sentinel, Clint Barton. This is Captain Steve Rogers, Sentinel, and his Guide Maria Hill."

"Sentinels?" Selvig asked. "What in the world are you doing out here in the wilds of New Mexico?"

"There were a couple of astronomical anomalies in the area over the last couple of days," Tony said. "I'm not sure if you noticed."

"Are you researching Einstein-Rosen bridges, too?" Foster asked, brow knit in confusion.

"No, I'm not," Tony said. "But something dropped out of the sky after one of those anomalies, so we thought we'd check it out."

"Yeah, something dropped out of the sky, alright," Darcy muttered, tossing an unsubtle glance at the man Steve assumed was Thor.

Selvig stood and walked around the table to where Tony was seated. "I'm Doctor Erik Selvig. This is Doctor Jane Foster and her assistant Darcy Lewis. We've been tracking atmospheric anomalies for the last few days. Jane believes they're actually Einstein-Rosen bridges, though I'm not convinced yet. So far, nothing I've seen suggests that a wormhole opened up over the New Mexico desert."

"Erik!" Foster said, looking scandalized that he'd shared so much.

"What?" Selvig asked. "He's a scientist. Maybe he can find something in your research, because right now, all we have is him—" Selvig pointed at Thor "—and he's not proof that you're right."

Steve looked over at Thor, who was watching the whole thing with bemusement. "They do not believe that I am from Asgard. I am uncertain what I could say beyond that which I have already revealed to convince them."

"You could start with why you're here," Phil said. 

"You have encountered beings from other realms before," Thor said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Phil. 

Steve got that feeling again, of building power, crackling under the surface. He realized that Thor was the Sentinel he and Maria had sensed as soon as they'd entered town. But if Thor really was from another world, how was he a Sentinel? He glanced at Maria, who gave a minute shrug of her shoulders. Seemed she was just as confused as he was.

"We have," Phil said. He tucked his hands into his pockets, giving every appearance of being a harmless middle-aged government flunky. "Though to be fair, she was human. Just not entirely human."

Thor crossed his arms over his chest. "It has been many years since Asgardians have walked the Earth. My father quite enjoyed visiting this realm, but he was not the only one."

"Are all Asgardians Sentinels?" Phil asked.

"What is this 'Sentinel' of which you speak?" Thor asked, head tilted to one side.

"A Sentinel is a person with six enhanced senses, strength, agility, and healing all above the human norm," Tony said. "They're protectors, for lack of a better term. Protectors of the tribe, of the community. Due to their strength and enhanced abilities, they normally work in the military, law enforcement, and as doctors and nurses. Basically, service to the community is their mandate."

"I see," Thor said. "Then perhaps Asgardians and humans are not so different after all. Many Asgardians are blessed with what you would call advanced senses. We are stronger, faster and better than most other beings in the known universe. We have been protectors of the nine realms for eons. It is our duty."

"Sounds familiar," Clint muttered.

"Are you telling me you believe he really is Thor of Asgard?" Selvig asked. 

"We could feel his power from the edge of town," Maria said. "Sentinels can't hide from Guides; Phil and I could sense a strong Sentinel in town. He almost put me on my knees."

"My apologies," Thor said, inclining his head. "I had thought my powers completely lost to me. Without my hammer, I am weak."

"Hmmm," Clint hummed. "Hammer."

Steve looked to Phil and Tony, who appeared to be sharing some kind of eyebrow conversation. Tony nodded once, and Phil turned to Steve with a nod. "If you wouldn't mind, Captain?"

"No problem," Steve said. He pushed through the door and jogged across the street to the SUV they came in. The trunk popped open before he'd even arrived. "Thanks, JARVIS."

"Of course, Captain," JARVIS said. They'd all agreed that wearing the comms modules was the smart play. Not only did it keep them in contact with JARVIS, but it allowed the AI to monitor their situation more closely.

Steve thought that Tony just didn't want to go into a situation without JARVIS to lend some of his unique opinions. He picked up the hammer and headed back to the building, letting JARVIS handle locking the SUV up again.

As soon as he'd pushed through the door, Thor gasped. Steve set the hammer down on the table they were all gathered around.

"Mjolnir," Thor breathed. "Where did you find it?"

"In the desert about fifty miles from here," Tony said. "There were a bunch of rednecks trying to pick it up when my security team arrived on site. It's yours?"

"Yes, it is," Thor said. "My father gifted it to me when I was young. I am… diminished without it."

He reached out and wrapped his hand around the handle, tensing his muscles as he prepared to lift it. 

Nothing happened.

"You sure he's the right Thor?" Clint asked.

Doctor Foster huffed. "I have a picture of him falling through the… what did you call it?"

"The Bifrost," Thor said distractedly. "You have not altered it in any way? Was it damaged when you found it?"

"It didn't appear damaged at all," Steve said. "But we don't know what it looked like before it arrived here. You're saying the hammer fell through… what are you saying, exactly?"

"She's saying that the hammer—and the man—fell through an Einstein-Rosen bridge," Tony said. He dropped his feet to the floor and leaned forward. "And you can't pick it up at all? It's obviously not broken, since Steve here was able to lift it without any issues."

"I am uncertain why it allows you to lift it," Thor said. He stepped back and crossed his arms again, a scowl of betrayal directed at the hammer. "Mjolnir has been loyal to me since the day my father gifted it to me."

Thor turned and walked away, standing at the back of the room with his hands on his hips. Steve couldn't tell if he was pouting or contemplating.

"So, how were you able to lift Meow-Meow?" Darcy asked. "That book said only Thor could do it."

"What book?" Steve asked.

Darcy pointed to the large book she'd been reading over breakfast. "That one. Erik checked it out of the library. It's got all kinds of stories like the ones Thor told us."

Tony tugged it over and flipped it closed. "Norse Mythology. Huh."

"I grew up in Norway. These were my bedtime stories," Selvig said. He glanced over at Thor, but the man appeared to be ignoring them. "Mjolnir is the hammer that Thor wields. It's supposed to be loyal only to him, but more than that, it's… sentient. It judges the worthiness of the person who wields it. If you're worthy, it allows you to carry it."

"Congratulations, Cap," Clint said, slapping Steve on the back. 

Steve shot Clint a quelling look, but the man just grinned at him. "I'm not sure I'm more worthy than Thor. He's a prince of Asgard, if I remember my Norse mythology. I'm just a Sentinel from Earth."

"He hasn't told us why he's here on Earth," Foster said. She nibbled on her lip, her eyes darting from Thor, back to Tony and to the hammer.

"I get the feeling he pissed off his daddy and this is a time-out," Tony said. "Why else would be have landed separately from the hammer? Plus, while I don't think I'd like to go toe-to-toe with him, I doubt he's much stronger than our resident Sentinels. Something seems off about that."

"No kidding," Maria said. "Given what we know about Carol Danvers, I'd guess that Thor in his natural state is orders of magnitude stronger and faster than even Sentinels."

Thor wandered back over and sat down within arm's reach of the hammer, though he didn't touch it again. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I was foolish; something that, upon further reflection, is quite common for me. On the day my father intended to crown me as his successor, a small group of Frost Giants infiltrated Asgard," he said quietly. "I was enraged, particularly when my father chose to do nothing. I and my friends went to Jotunheim—without my father's permission—with the intention to punish the Frost Giants. We were trapped and moments from being killed when my father rescued us. But it came at a cost. He banished me to Midgard for behaving foolishly. I do not know when I will return, if ever."

"Well, as long as you're stuck here, we could use a guy like you," Tony said.

"Stark," Phil said, exasperated.

"What?" Tony asked. "He's a Sentinel, even if that's not what he calls himself. I'd bet good money—and I've got plenty to burn—that he could teach our Sentinels a thing or two about using their skills."

"I would be pleased to be of use," Thor said with a weak smile.

"Now wait just a minute," Foster said, stamping her foot. "He's the only evidence I have that Einstein-Rosen bridges are actually real. You can't take him away!"

"Oh, I wasn't planning to take him away from you," Tony said. "Matter of fact, you and your whole motley crew are hired. You can study Einstein-Rosen bridges or whatever else strikes your fancy. I'll give you a lab to yourself, and foot the bill for whatever you need to fill it with."

"I have equipment. I made most of it myself," Foster said as she waved an arm around her. "Besides, you can't just decide to hire me. What if I don't ever produce results that are useful to you?"

"Scientific discovery is useful to everyone," Tony said. "And I like making it possible. I don't want to keep your discoveries, just enable you to make them."

"It's a good offer, Jane," Selvig said.

"I… let me think about it," she said.

"Great!" Tony said. He stood up and clapped his hands together. "I'll have JARVIS start preparing some lab space for you."

"I haven't even said yes yet," she said, exasperated.

"That's not a detail that's very important to him," Clint said. 

Foster nodded. "I'm beginning to see that."

~o~


	3. Chapter 3

~o~

Tony had basically invited them all to brunch, which meant they'd needed a lot more food. Steve and Maria had made a run to the market, returning with a few dozen eggs, more toast and bacon, and some fruit for a salad. They'd also gotten more coffee and orange juice; Tony practically took coffee intravenously, so it wouldn't do to run out.

As it turned out, Doctor Foster—Jane, as she'd insisted they call her—was fairly adept at scrambling eggs and flipping pancakes. Clint had lent a hand since breakfast was his personal specialty. In short order, they had a feast fit for a king. 

Or at least, a Prince of Asgard.

"So, how'd you find out about these anomalies?" Tony asked as he sipped on his coffee.

"A friend of mine at NMSU works in the astronomy lab," she said. "She was the first one to point it out to me, but I've heard from several other people that these things aren't uncommon here."

"If you believe the stories, shit like that's been going on since the fifties," Clint said.

"If it has, it wasn't Asgardians," Phil said. "Danvers worked out at Pegasus, and we were doing some really interesting research out there back in the nineties, but before that, all the really interesting research happened at Camp Lehigh."

"New Jersey," Steve said. "That's where I trained, after Rebirth."

"Yes, which is part of the reason why that base was used," Phil said. "Back then, the Army was in charge of security, so we went where they told us to."

"Pegasus was built in the eighties," Maria said. "We needed a secure facility for… our research. By that time, SHIELD had grown large enough that we could handle that ourselves."

"Is this the first time something's actually landed?" Steve asked. He'd heard about the little grey aliens—or at least the rumors of them—but he'd never been quite sure it was real. Until now.

"Through the Bifrost?" Thor asked. "I am uncertain. There are others who have visited Midgard over the millennia, but it has been some time since anyone of Asgard has come here. There has been relative peace in the nine realms; my father has not ventured forth in many years."

"So, where'd the little grey aliens come from?" Clint asked.

"No one has ever proved that the little grey aliens even exist," Phil said, exasperation in his voice, as if this were something they'd discussed before.

"It was probably some sort of ruse to cover up something else going on," Tony said. 

"Not everything is a government conspiracy, Tony," Steve said.

Darcy snorted. "Just shows what you know."

"Does anyone know why New Mexico?" Maria asked. "I mean, it seems like it's always the desert of New Mexico. What's so special about this place?"

"Who knows?" Selvig asked. "The land out here is relatively flat. And with the altitude, the atmosphere is thinner. It could be just as simple as that."

"Oh, come on," Jane said. "You and I both know it's never as simple as that. There has to be some other reason for it. Something to do with the ionosphere or maybe gravitational flux in this area. I don't know, but something."

"I can see why you're interested," Tony said. "You like a good challenge, don't you?"

"Took you long enough to figure that one out," Darcy muttered.

"You, I like," Tony said, pointing at Darcy with his slice of bacon. "You're snarky. It's a lost art form."

"Not as lost as you might think," Maria said. "You could teach a master class, Stark."

"She definitely needs to come to work for us," Tony said. "We need more snark at the office."

"No, we really don't," Phil said.

There was a knock on the door. Everyone looked over to find a woman with dark hair, dressed in gleaming armor and carrying a sword. Thor nearly leaped from his chair and ran to the door, pulling it open with more force than strictly necessary.

"Sif!" he cried out, dragging her inside and enfolding her in his arms, his nose pressed to her neck in a very familiar way.

"Guide," Maria murmured.

Phil nodded. "Powerful, like Thor."

Steve felt guilty for watching what was clearly a bonded pair reuniting. Tony, Steve and Maria, and Clint and Phil, looked away, trying to give the pair some privacy. The others were staring unabashedly, unaware of the intimacy of the moment, or unconcerned at their intrusion.

Finally, the two of them pulled away from each other, but not too far. Thor pressed his forehead to Sif's, taking a steadying breath.

"Why have you come?" he whispered, too quietly for anyone but Steve and Clint to hear. "Father will not be pleased that you have defied him."

"Your father has fallen into the Odinsleep," Sif said just as quietly. "Loki sits upon the throne. I told him that Odin had no right to keep us apart, and that if he didn't give me leave to seek you out, his blood would decorate the throne. He chose not to test me."

Thor chuckled through the obvious tears at the mention of his father. "Loki was always far more ambitious than sensible. I am surprised he acquiesced so readily."

"Not so readily as that," Sif said, her own chuckle echoing Thor's. "I left the Warriors Three guarding the throne and your father. I don't trust Loki right now. He still smarts over the truth of his parentage. I am not certain of his plans, but he was far too eager to take the throne when your father fell into the Odinsleep. I fear it bodes ill for Asgard."

"I still cannot return," Thor said. 

"You must," Sif said, pulling back to look him in the eye. "If Odin does not… You cannot leave Loki to take the throne."

Thor glanced at the worktable across the room, where Mjolnir sat quietly, waiting for its master to reclaim it. Steve thought that Thor simply needed to find himself again in order to regain it, but Thor had shot them down over the issue of the hammer. He'd refused to try lifting it again, and none of them could talk him around.

"You gonna introduce your new friend to the rest of the class?" Tony asked. He popped a piece of fruit into his mouth and gave her a wide grin as he chewed.

"Forgive me, friends," Thor said. "This is the Lady Sif. She is my Shield Sister. We have been bonded since childhood."

Tony waved. "Tony Stark. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

Phil snorted, then took over the introductions. "My name is Phil Coulson. This is Clint Barton, my Sentinel. That's Steve Rogers, also a Sentinel, and his Guide Maria Hill."

"They are like you and I," Sif said to Thor.

"Indeed, they are," Thor said, nodding. "And this is Jane Foster and Erik Selvig. They are scientists. Darcy Lewis is their capable assistant."

Darcy waved, a big grin on her face.

Sif inclined her head in such a way that it made Steve think of royalty. He glanced at Jane, who'd clearly been sweet on Thor, finding her sad and maybe a little bewildered. He couldn't blame her. Thor was compelling all on his own, but he and Sif together made a striking pair.

"Won't you join us for brunch, ma'am?" Steve said when it became clear that literally everyone else at the table had lost track of their manners.

"I would enjoy a meal with new friends," Sif said diplomatically.

Steve could see that she wanted to get Thor alone, probably so she could talk him into going back to Asgard, but she was far too polite to just drag him away from the group. Not that it would do much good. Steve and Clint could probably hear a conversation several miles away, if they put some effort into it. 

Clint jumped up and quickly organized some more eggs and bacon for their newest guest. While the food was cooking, Sif wandered over to the table where Steve had placed Mjolnir. She ran her fingers delicately up the handle, as if greeting an old friend. Then she set her sword and shield down on the table next to the hammer and walked back to the table, settling in beside Thor.

Steve looked at the two together—the sword and Mjolnir, and Thor and Sif—contemplating the symbolism. The hammer was a blunt instrument. Thor had spoken of throwing it around knowing it would return to him every time, much like Steve's shield did. The sword was a much more personal weapon; you had to get in close to use it. It required finesse and skill to wield, much like when a Guide used their gifts.

It was an interesting dichotomy, and one he'd like to explore further, but for now, he refocused on Thor and Sif and listened as they talked about Asgard.

"So, does this Bifrost thing only happen in New Mexico?" Tony asked when the subject came up again. "Or can you land one of these bridges anywhere you want?"

"Heimdall controls the Bifrost," Thor said. "As long as he can see a place, he can send a traveler there."

"And yet, you landed here," Tony said. "And so did the hammer. And her. Sort of seems like the only landing pad on Earth is right here in New Mexico."

"I cannot say why Father chose this place," Thor said, his voice subdued. "But I am not sad to have landed here. It allowed me to meet the Fair Jane and her companions. And you, my kindred souls."

"We're glad to have met you as well," Steve said. "Maybe we can help each other. You can help us figure out where Sentinels came from, and we can help you get back home."

"I would like that very much," Thor said with a smile.

The table rattled under his hands. Steve looked at Thor, trying to gage whether he or Sif had been responsible, but they both looked just as confused as the rest of them.

"Tell me that's an earthquake," Maria said.

"It was not an earthquake," JARVIS chimed in. "The shaking registered on the local seismometers, but it was not caused by the tectonic plates in the area."

More shaking, and the faint sounds of an explosion reached Steve's ears. "That didn't sound like an earthquake."

Clint got up and walked to the windows; Steve rose and opened the door, stepping outside and scanning the horizon. Clint was beside him in an instant.

"There is… something at the edge of town," JARVIS said. "A very large mechanical being, breathing fire on everything in sight."

"Please tell me that's a metaphor," Maria said as she stepped outside.

"Where does that voice come from?" Thor asked as he joined them.

Tony pulled a comm unit out of his pocket and handed it to Thor. "Press it behind your ear. You'll be able to hear all of us talking, but more importantly, you'll be able to hear my AI communicating with our team."

"I am uncertain what an AI is, but I can hear all of you no matter where in town you are," Thor said. He handed the disc to Sif. "Perhaps it would benefit you more."

Sif did as Tony instructed just as JARVIS spoke again. "It is moving into town, destroying vehicles and buildings with concentrated bursts of fire."

"The Destroyer," Thor said, expression grim. "Loki must have sent it. His treachery knows no bounds."

"That doesn't sound good," Tony said. He pulled another comms unit out of his pocket and handed it to Thor. "You may not think so but being able to hear and talk to all of us will be helpful."

He turned and tapped on the bracelets he wore on both his wrists and the Iron Man suit spun out and encased him. He popped open the face plate and looked at Jane, Selvig and Darcy. "You guys might want to find some cover. This looks like it's going to get ugly really quick."

"We can help get people off the streets," Selvig said.

A compartment opened up on Tony's suit, and three more comms units popped out. "Then you're going to need these. Put them behind your ear. JARVIS will coordinate with the rest of us."

"Thank you," Selvig said.

"Captain," Thor said, getting Steve's attention. "I believe Mjolnir will be useful to you."

"I can't use your hammer, Thor," Steve said. 

"You must," Thor said. "Defeating the Destroyer will take all the strength you possess. I will help as much as I am able, but you may need the advantage the hammer can provide."

Steve's lips thinned into a grim line. "Alright. I'll take good care of it."

"Thank you, my friend," Thor said. 

He grasped Steve's arm in a warrior's handshake, giving Steve a long look before he ran off in the direction of the Destroyer. Steve shook his head and headed back inside. He grabbed the hammer without a second thought and ran outside to join the battle.

~o~

Steve stared up at the Destroyer, equal parts awe and horror flooding him. It was enormous, made entirely of metal, and contained what seemed to be a forge giving it unlimited fire.

Of all the things he'd seen in his lifetime—including during the war—this was by far the most frightening thing he'd ever encountered. It made him long for his shield, but they'd agreed that carrying it around wasn't the low profile they were looking for, so he'd left it on the plane.

"So, how do we defeat it?" he asked as the rest of the team gathered around him.

"The Destroyer moves on the order of the King of Asgard," Thor said. "Normally, it protects Odin's Vault. If Sif is correct and my brother sits on the throne, then he controls the Destroyer. If he truly sent it here, it can mean only one thing: he is trying to solidify his claim to the throne by eliminating his only rival: me."

"Great," Clint said. "A giant robot with revenge on its mind."

"The Destroyer does not think for itself," Sif said. "It only knows the bidding of its master."

"Would the Warriors Three know that Loki is controlling it?" Thor asked her.

Sif shook her head. "No. I left specific instructions for them. They were not to leave Odin's chamber. While I cannot believe Loki would move openly against Odin, I was not willing to take that chance."

"I do not blame you," Thor said. He pressed a kiss to Sif's brow. "You did what you felt was best. As I am not ready to lose my father, I will not be angered by your choice."

"Still doesn't help us figure out how to defeat this thing," Clint said. "Is it mechanical? Any vulnerabilities we should know about?"

"It is not mechanical in any sense you would recognize," Sif said. "The Destroyer is an automaton with the fire of Odin in its belly. You will not find it so easy to defeat."

"Great," Maria said. "Stark, you want the first crack?"

"Don't mind if I do," Tony said. He dropped the faceplate on the suit and took off. "You guys take cover. This could get messy."

The Destroyer walked into view, lumbering down the main street, straight for them.

"I'm right behind you, Tony," Steve said. He tightened his grip on the hammer, not sure what he was planning to do with it. "I think I'll see what this hammer can do, maybe distract it while you take some shots."

"Right," Tony said. He flew up to the Destroyer, hovering in the air so that he was level with its head. "You know, you could just go back to Asgard. That Bifrost thing sounds like a great idea right now."

"If Loki used the Bifrost to send the Destroyer here, we have to assume Heimdall is compromised," Sif said. "He may not be able to send it back to Asgard."

The Destroyer turned so it was facing Iron Man and let loose a blast of fire. Tony dodged the blast and fired back. It knocked the Destroyer back a half-step, but it just turned in Tony's direction and threw more fire at him.

"Whoa," Tony said as he bobbed and weaved away from the Destroyer. "You know, Cap, any time you want to join the party, I'm up for company."

Steve turned to Maria. "I'd greatly prefer it if you took cover."

"Yeah," Maria said. "Phil and I will stay here and coordinate the evacuation with the others. Just be safe."

"I will," Steve said. He leaned in and wrapped his hand around her neck, pulling her close, and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, even as he inhaled her scent.

When he pulled back, he saw Phil and Clint in a similar embrace. Phil stepped back and nodded at Steve. He felt better that they were both going to stay out of harm's way.

"Sentinel Barton," JARVIS said, "There are some explosive arrows in the quiver in the trunk, if you would like to avail yourself of the opportunity."

"I'd definitely like that," Clint said as he jogged across the street.

Steve watched Tony as he flew around the Destroyer, keeping its attention but not really doing much against it. He hefted the hammer in his hand again, his grip tightening on the handle.

Sif appeared beside him, her sword gripped in her hand. She was also holding a staff that he hadn't realized she had before. "Are you ready, Captain?"

"As I'll ever be," he said.

Clint joined him and the three of them walked down the street, headed for the Destroyer.

~o~


	4. Chapter 4

~o~

Clint and Sif broke away as Steve headed down the middle of the street. Tony was still harassing the Destroyer, but that was all it really was. His repulsors weren't really making a dent, and they hadn't discouraged the Destroyer's progress at all. It was still headed through the middle of town, indiscriminately blasting at whatever was in its path.

Steve figured that Tony would call out to it, maybe shout something sarcastic or witty, but that wasn't Steve's style. Instead, he stretched out with the hammer and spun in a circle, like he'd seen the hammer throwers at the Olympics do. After a couple of spins, he let go of the hammer, wobbling a bit as he watched it hit the Destroyer in the head.

The Destroyer fell backward and landed with a thud. The fire went out and everything went silent. The hammer flew around in a large arc and landed back in Steve's hand, just as he put it out to catch it. To say he was impressed would be an understatement.

"So, that's it?" Clint asked as he stepped up beside Steve. "Kinda anticlimactic, if you ask me."

"I doubt it's going to be as easy as that," Tony said. He landed beside Steve and lifted his faceplate. "There's no way that hammer is more powerful than a full-power blast from my suit."

They watched as the Destroyer slowly sat up. Its face opened again as the fire inside grew.

"Right," Tony said. "So, new plan. Hit it with the hammer. Hard. As many times as you can."

"That's your plan?" Steve asked incredulously.

"It has the advantage of being simple and straightforward," Clint said. 

"I will attempt to pierce it, hold it in one place as long as I can," Sif said as she joined them. "Perhaps if we work together, we will defeat it."

"We can use all the help we can get, She-Ra," Tony said. He dropped his faceplate and took off. "Just don't wait too long. This thing's not getting any less dangerous."

"Give me a lift, Stark," Clint said. He pointed to the nearest building. "I'll have a better vantage point from up there."

"Alright," Tony said as he swooped down. "Hold on to your butt, Legolas."

He grabbed Clint around the middle and launched them both into the air, deftly dropping Clint on the nearest rooftop. Steve watched him select and draw an arrow, nocking it and holding ready for their next move.

By now, the Destroyer was on its feet, headed back down the street. Steve heaved the hammer at the Destroyer. It hit the automaton in the middle of the chest as Steve had intended. Once again, the machine was knocked over, skidding to a stop in the middle of the street.

The hammer returned to Steve once again, and he caught it with very little thought.

Sif leaped through the air and landed on its chest, driving her staff through the metal plating and into the pavement below. She leaped off the thing just as Tony and Clint opened fire on it.

The Destroyer was soon engulfed in flames, almost blinding in its intensity. Steve had to dial down his sight to compensate. When the smoke cleared, Steve dialed back up again, only to see the Destroyer working itself free of the spear that pinned it down.

"No fucking way," Clint said over the comms. "I hit it with an EMP, and it didn't even slow it down. That thing is unkillable."

"Now what?" Steve asked.

"The town is evacuated," Maria said over the comms. "If we have to, we can call in something bigger."

"I get the feeling nothing short of a nuke is going to kill this thing," Tony said. "And I'm fresh out of nukes. Any other suggestions?"

"I have one," Thor said.

Steve turned around to find the man walking up the street. "Shouldn't you be under cover somewhere?"

"I cannot allow you to continue to fight my battle," Thor said. "The Destroyer was sent to kill me. It will not stop until it has done so."

"Not gonna happen, Point Break," Tony said. "We don't let our friends face trouble alone. It's kind of a rule."

"There's no rule like that," Clint said.

"There is now," Tony said. He landed beside Steve and Thor and flipped up his faceplate. "Sentinel or not, you won't last long against that thing. It'll kill you."

"I understand that, Stark," Thor said. "But it is my choice to make."

"I have some connections with the Army," Phil said over the comms. "I can make a few calls and get a bird in the air."

"Your conventional weapons will have no effect on it," Thor said. "I must face it alone. That is what Loki wants."

Sif jogged up and practically threw herself at Thor. "I beg of you to reconsider. I cannot—"

"Shhh," Thor said. He swept her ponytail off her shoulder and pressed his forehead to hers. "A good leader is willing to make the sacrifice so that others may live. It is the lesson my father was trying to teach me. That in order to lead, I must value my wants least of all."

"I will not take another," she said quietly. "I will refuse all others. You will be my only Shield Brother. I swear it."

"None can question your valor," Thor said. "Be well. Find someone to hold on to. I cannot bear the idea of you growing old alone."

"I will not be alone," she said. "Unless they've managed to get themselves killed, I will have the Warriors Three to order about."

Thor laughed. "It has been my honor to serve at your side, my love."

"Mine as well, my Prince," Sif said quietly.

He pressed a suspiciously wet kiss to her lips, then stepped back and squared his shoulders.

"Any way we can talk you out of this?" Steve asked quietly, grabbing his elbow as he walked past.

"No, Captain," Thor said, shaking his head. "This is what I must do to save you all."

Steve nodded once and let go, allowing Thor to pass. 

The Destroyer had finally freed itself from its prison. It turned toward Thor as soon as he'd stepped out into the street. 

"If my death will save these people, I gladly welcome it," Thor said, just loud enough to be heard. "End this now, Loki. Your revenge against me need not cost these people their lives."

The Destroyer raised its arm and swung, striking Thor square in the chest. The blow sent him flying; he landed with a sickening thud and skidded down the street until he'd stopped not far from where Steve, Tony and Sif still stood.

They rushed over to him, but it was too late. His eyes were open, looking sightlessly up to the clear blue sky. The Destroyer turned and began walking back toward the edge of town, its job now finished.

"Thor," Sif sobbed. She knelt down and pulled his head into her lap, reverently stroking his cheek as she cried for her lost love.

No one said anything for long moments. Phil and Maria jogged down the street, joining them as they waited at a polite distance while Sif mourned the loss of her Sentinel. Maria stepped in close; Steve dropped the hammer and pulled her in, pressing his nose to her hair and inhaling deeply.

"She must be in so much pain," Maria said as she glanced over at Sif, who was still crying. "I couldn't imagine losing you."

"I hope you never have to find out," Steve said.

"Thor!"

Steve looked up to find Sif standing as Thor's body shifted. He hadn't been breathing a moment ago, but he was now, though Steve was at a loss as to how. Somehow, it looked like armor was forming on his body, just like Tony's armor did.

Mjolnir, which had been sitting silently on the ground beside Steve, flew directly into Thor's outstretched hand. He sat up and then pushed to his feet, looking hale and whole.

"What the actual fuck?" Tony asked rather loudly, though Steve couldn't fault him for being bewildered.

"How'd he do that?" Clint asked as he ran up to the group. "He was dead. Not breathing. Completely toast. And now he's not. What do you call that, magic?"

"Perhaps," Sif said through the grin on her face. "He has regained his true form."

"I have unfinished business," Thor said gravely. "As the Prince of Asgard, I am sworn to protect Midgard."

"Was that supposed to explain how he rose from the dead?" Clint asked.

"Jesus Christ," Phil muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Not even close," Tony said, flashing a grin.

"I am uncertain why I did not die," Thor said, "but perhaps now that my strength has been returned to me, I can keep the Destroyer from fulfilling its purpose."

Thor spun the hammer and shot into the sky. He flew straight for the Destroyer, and then straight through the Destroyer, leaving a gaping hole in its body. And then, just for good measure, he swung upward with the hammer, knocking the Destroyer's head off. The machine fell to its knees. 

Thor leaped up onto its shoulders and raised his hammer into the air. Lightening began to collect in the sky, arcing down and connecting with Thor's hammer in an awesome display of power and control. When he'd whipped the lightening into a huge electrical storm, he drove it down into the Destroyer's belly with his hammer.

The buildup of energy flowing into the Destroyer overloaded it very quickly. One second it was there and the next, it had blown up, scattering bits of smoking metal in all directions. Thor leaped off the Destroyer at the last second, flying overhead and landing beside the carcass.

What had once been a mighty machine was now a smoldering ruin, nothing but its legs left standing. Thor turned and walked down the street, his cape billowing in the slight breeze.

~o~

"Fuck, that was amazing," Clint said quietly. 

"I can feel him now," Maria said. She took a deep breath. "Orders of magnitude more powerful that he was even an hour ago."

"She's more powerful, too," Phil said.

They watched as Sif ran down the street and threw herself at Thor. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her around before burying his nose in her neck. They stood that way for a long time, reconnecting on a level that Steve could intimately understand.

"Is that really him?" Jane asked as she, Darcy and Selvig jogged up. "I mean, he's really Thor of Asgard?"

"It would appear so," Steve said. "We all thought he was dead."

"Guess it's a lot harder to kill an Asgardian than we thought," Clint said.

"This is incredible!" Jane said. Her face lit up with childlike glee. "That means he had to have come through an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. I can't wait to talk to him about it. The things he could tell us! I mean, he could give us data it would take years to understand."

"So, you're going to take Mr. Stark's job offer?" Selvig asked.

"Well, yes," Jane said. She turned to Tony, lower lip caught between her teeth. "That is if the job offer's still open? I mean, I'll help pay my own way if I need to. I've got grant money I can contribute. I know this isn't something you're interested in, but—"

"Whoa, hold up there, Pippin," Tony said. "One, I never take back an offer once I've made it. The job is yours, and you can bring your two sidekicks with you, if they're interested."

"Oh, I'm definitely interested," Darcy said.

"Erik?" Jane asked, turning to her old friend. "Wanna come with? I could use your help analyzing the data."

"You'll get your own lab out of it," Tony said to Selvig. "So, if your interests stray to something else, you'll have the space to pursue them."

"I'm not for sale, Mr. Stark," Selvig said, but Steve got the impression that it was a pro-forma objection more than anything.

"And I'm not looking to buy new scientists," Tony said. The Iron Man armor retreated into his bracelet as he spoke. "But as I said before, I do like giving smart people a place to do their research and the freedom to investigate whatever interests them. If your line of research can benefit my company in any way, we'll strike a deal. Fair enough?"

Selvig eyed him for the space of a few heartbeats. "In that case, I think I'll come along and see what all the fuss is about."

"What's two?" Darcy asked.

"What?" Tony asked back.

"You said 'one'," Darcy said. "Your first point: you don't take back offers once you make them. What was your second point?"

"Ah yes, two," Tony said, flashing a grin. "I've got the best facilities in the world. I know because I checked. You won't lack for anything you need to make your research possible. I have resources and contacts all over the scientific community, so whatever you need, you'll have it."

"You can stop with the sales pitch, Stark," Maria said with a chuckle. "I think they're on board."

"What would I do?" Darcy asked. "I'm not exactly a scientist, and I figure Jane could hire herself an actual intern with those resources.

"You can do whatever you want," Tony said. "I have a whole company you can explore. I'm sure we can find something for you to do that'll take advantage of your unique skill set."

"I like you more than I should," Darcy said.

Tony threw his head back and laughed, drawing chuckles out of the rest of them. Thor and Sif joined them as their laughter was finally dying off.

"Friends," Thor said. "I am grateful that you are all well after the events of the day. I fear I must apologize for what has transpired. The Destroyer has caused much damage to your people and their homes. I am uncertain how I will be able to make amends for this."

"It wasn't your fault," Phil said. "We don't blame you for any of this. You were just as much a victim as the rest."

"Still, I would like to find a way for Asgard to atone for what has been done here," Thor said. 

"Then we will find a way to do so," Phil said.

"So, I just hired Dr. Jane and her lovely assistants," Tony said. "How'd you like to come back to New York with them? Maybe get a look at how the other half lives?"

"I would like that very much, my friend," Thor said. "I need to return to Asgard and deal with Loki, but after that is done, I will join you in this place you call New York."

"You're welcome to join us as well, Lady Sif," Tony said, bowing deferentially to Thor's companion.

"I would be pleased to join Thor in New York," she said. "I have never before been to Midgard, so I would like to see more of it. Is this New York very much like this place?"

"Definitely not," Clint said. "It's a city, so there's nothing but pavement as far as the eye can see, and buildings climbing into the sky. It's loud and fast and busy."

"I think that just about sums it up," Steve said with a smile. That was the thing he loved about New York the most: that it had changed very little in the seventy years he'd been gone. He still felt like he belonged there, even if some things were slightly different than they'd been before.

"Then it is settled," Thor said. "We will return to Asgard to assess my father's condition and deal with Loki. I will have Heimdall turn his gaze to you so that he may find you when we are ready to return to Midgard."

Tony raised a finger. "One thing before you go."

"What is that?" Thor asked, confused. 

"Would you mind if we took some blood samples from you?" Tony asked.

"What are you thinking, Tony?" Phil asked.

"I'm thinking that if he's a Sentinel, and she's a guide, that maybe we have more in common than we realize," Tony said.

"You think maybe the Asgard got Sentinel and Guide genes from Earth?" Maria asked.

"Or we got them from Asgard," Selvig said. "I'm no geneticist but considering that Thor said there were other Asgardians that have come to Earth, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that they interbred with humans."

"And you can determine this from our blood?" Sif asked. "I would be interested to learn if this is the case as well."

"Alrighty then," Tony said. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Before you tootle off to Asgard, we'll take you to our plane and you can give us that sample. That way we can get started, maybe even have an answer for you when you return."

"What about this mess?" Selvig asked, sweeping an arm around to indicate all the damage done by the Destroyer.

"Let's see if we can't find someone in charge of this delightful little town," Tony said. "We can start planning to rebuild the place. After all, we did help make the mess."

~o~


	5. Chapter 5

~o~

"Alright, boys and girls," Tony said as he wandered into the large conference room on the Avengers' floor of the tower. "It's story time!"

"We're just waiting on Doctors Collins and Banner and we can get started," Phil said as he took a seat beside Clint.

Seconds later, the two men in question walked into the room, followed by Tom Collins' wife, Doctor Grace. Steve and Maria took seats across from Phil and Clint. 

Tony sat down next to Doctor Grace near the head of the table and leaned over. "I think your husband stole my science bro."

Doctor Grace chuckled. "Serves you right for handing them a mystery to solve. Maybe if you can wrangle Doctor Banner away from the genetics lab, I'll get my husband back."

"Maybe I could tear a hole in space-time," Tony said, tapping a finger on his chin. 

"I am required to notify you that you are not permitted to alter or damage space or time in any way," JARVIS said. "The last time you made the attempt, it did not go well."

"Sounds like there's a story there," Steve said, smiling.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Tony said with a wink.

"Thank fuck he's been so busy since New Mexico that he hasn't had time to do much," Clint said. "Trust me when I say that when Stark makes a mess, it takes more than a crew in hazmat gear to clean it up."

It had been three weeks since the incident with the Destroyer in New Mexico. They'd sent a team from Stark Industries to collect the broken parts of the automaton and return them to New York. He'd also hired contractors to fix what they'd broken in the town; the mayor had been beside himself with glee at the makeover the town was getting, complete with free Wi-Fi and a host of other technology that Steve struggled to understand.

Tony had spent his time investigating how the Destroyer worked. Doctor Collins had spent the time studying the DNA they'd gotten from Thor and Sif before they left. Banner had jumped between the two labs, lending a hand in both research projects as needed.

Steve and Maria had thrown themselves into working with the newly online Sentinels and Guides at the Center. They'd held the official opening for the West Coast Center just after the team returned to New York; with construction now completed on the building next door to Stark Tower, it had become the official home of the Howard Stark Foundation as well as the Sentinel and Guide Center for the East Coast.

Steve had enjoyed spending time there; it had become something of a second home to him and made him wonder if hanging up the shield permanently was the right path for him. He didn't have any illusions that he wouldn't be needed on the international scene sooner or later, but for the moment, he was more useful where he was. It was something to think about, anyway.

Tom stepped to the front of the room and turned to the rest of the team.

"Alright," Tom said. "While you were all in New Mexico, we spent some more time with the Wakandan DNA, and we've completed our preliminary analysis of the Asgardian DNA you brought back from New Mexico. What we've found is… startling."

"Lay it on us, Doc," Clint said.

Banner stood up and joined Tom at the front of the room. "So, this is the DNA we showed you before you left." He pointed to several specific chromosomes. "These are the standard Sentinel genes. Pretty typical for Sentinels in the US. We took samples from a number of Sentinels, and these genes are present in all of them."

"We also looked at the Wakandan Sentinels," Tom said. More images appeared on the screen. "These are samples from the Wakandan data. You'll notice the same genes are present in their Sentinels. As we said before, their Sentinel genetic profile is a match to ours."

"We've been building a database of all known Sentinels in the US," Banner said. "Plus, through King T'Chaka's contacts at the UN, along with our own network of contacts, we were able to procure DNA from a number of additional sources around the world."

Still more images appeared on the screen. They were tiled like a mosaic, but then the pictures shifted and began to merge. Steve leaned forward as the picture became clear.

"They're all identical," he said. "The Sentinel genes are identical. What are the chances of that happening?"

"Odds on that are astronomical," Tony said. 

"Roughly a billion to one, Captain," JARVIS chimed in.

Tony leaned forward himself, his eyes scanning the data as if looking for the flaw. "Is it just the Sentinels, or do the Guide genetics line up the same?"

"The data on Guide genetics is far more limited," Banner said. "The US wasn't alone in declining to test for Guide genetics, so it's been slow going, building a database. What we do have is telling."

"As you can see here," Tom said as the picture changed to a new set of chromosomes, "the overlay shows the same thing. An exact match across the board."

"How do you account for the fact that there's no drift?" Tony asked.

"Drift?" Steve asked. 

"When you're tracking a gene or cluster of genes in a population, you'd expect there to be changes in those genes over time," Doctor Grace said. "Either because of environmental changes, or because those specific traits are no longer needed and bred out of the population. It's very rare for a gene to pass intact from generation to generation."

"So, you expected the Sentinel and Guide genes to look different today than they used to fifty years ago," Steve said. 

"Right," Tom said. "Though, to be fair, fifty years isn't that much time, genetically speaking. At a minimum, we'd have expected the genes to be different in different populations."

"You thought the Wakandans being isolated from the rest of the world would have made their genetic profile different than ours," Maria said. "Because the rest of the world has interbred with mundanes in the general population, but Wakanda hasn't bred with anyone outside their borders in modern history."

"Yes," Banner said. "And yet, their genetic profile for both Sentinels and Guides is exactly the same as ours."

"What about the Asgardian DNA?" Phil asked. "I feel like maybe that's the elephant in the room that you haven't brought up yet."

"And you'd be right," Tom said. "Because when we looked at Thor's DNA, we found… well, something we didn't expect."

The image on the screen shifted to show the collective DNA profile of human Sentinels. Then, the Asgardian profile appeared next to it and the two merged.

"Whoa," Clint said. "You're not bullshitting us, right? That's really real?"

"No bullshit," Banner said. "The Asgardian genetics match up perfectly with the Sentinel and Guide genes in humans."

The room fell silent, each of them contemplating the implications of the data.

"Well, this is unexpected," Phil said. "But does it tell us where our Sentinel and Guide genetics come from?"

"You mean, did they bring Sentinels and Guides to Earth, or did we somehow pass on our genetic legacy to them?" Tom asked. "The genes that are responsible for Sentinels and Guides come from Asgard, no doubt."

"That means there were Asgardians on Earth mating with humans from way back," Clint said. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"As someone who doesn't likely have an Asgardian up my family tree, I'm pretty sure it's weird," Tony said. 

"Well, that's where you're wrong," Banner said. "For comparison, we've taken DNA samples from some non-Sentinels, including you, if you'll remember."

"Wait, are you telling me that my ancestors are Asgardian?" Tony asked, sounding incredibly scandalized.

"We did find a few genes that are Asgardian in origin," Tom said. "We tested a few of the people involved with the S&G Center that aren't Sentinels or Guides, and we found the same genes in all of them."

"So, what does that mean?" Steve asked.

"We don't know," Banner said.

"Our best guess is that there's some sort of genetic imperative here," Tom said. "Somehow, those ordinary people with Asgardian genetics are finding their way to the S&G community and getting involved. Several of the people I've talked to say that it's almost… it's like an imperative. Like they felt they owed something to the Sentinels and Guides who protect us."

"My father often says that it's his duty to protect the tribe," Tony said. "I thought it was just words. Or maybe the debt he thought he owed Capsicle over there, as someone who worked on the Super Soldier program and later became his friend."

"I think it's deeper than that," Tom said. "I think there's something within the Sentinel and Guide genes that attracts those who share Asgardian genes. We've asked our sources to start testing normals who work with the community in other countries. We'll see if this pans out, but for right now, it's looking like Sentinels and Guides aren't the only ones with Asgardian genes."

"Well, fuck," Clint said.

"You said it," Maria muttered.

"We've got a lot of work left to do, but at least now we have a direction," Banner said. 

"Who else knows about this?" Phil asked.

"Right now, only the people in this room," Tom said. "None of my staff has been made aware, and beyond Pepper and Howard, I don't think we should tell anyone else."

"No, I agree," Tony said. "There's no telling what the rest of the world might think about this. We need to keep this on a need-to-know basis. JARVIS, make sure you lock down the data on the server and track anyone who accesses it."

"Understood, sir," JARVIS said. "I have moved all data related to this project to a separate server that is only accessible by the people in this room. I will notify you immediately if anyone attempts to access the data for any reason."

"Alright, sounds good," Tony said. He looked at Tom and Banner. "Keep digging and let us know what you find."

~o~

"So, what do you think about all this?" Maria asked Steve later that night. 

They were in bed with the lights out, just the twinkling lights of a New York night illuminating the space. Steve didn't need any more light than that to be able to see, but he hadn't dialed up his sight to compensate, preferring instead to allow the night to isolate them in a cocoon of intimacy.

"I think Sentinels had to come from somewhere," Steve said. "I'm not sure it matters where we came from, as long as we're here now and committed to protecting our world."

Maria sighed. "You know, I never really felt like I fit in, growing up. Even after I joined SHIELD, I always felt like I was… not a good fit. I mean, I was good at the work, and I rose through the ranks quickly, but that didn't make me feel like I belonged.

"When I met Phil, I remember thinking, 'There you are.'" She licked her lips, then went on in a subdued voice. "I think he thought I was crazy because I just kept asking him questions about Sentinels and Guides. Especially when I declined to be tested."

"Why did you?" Steve asked.

"There were no Sentinels or Guides in my family," Maria said. "I thought there was no point, and I didn't want to deal with the disappointment. I know better now, and maybe that's reason enough for wider testing, but I didn't make the connection back then."

"No reason to second guess yourself, now," Steve said. He ran a finger down her face. "You had no way of knowing that the feeling you were experiencing was important. But maybe it's something we can disseminate quietly, to encourage people to get tested."

"Couldn't hurt," Maria said. "I just want to make sure no one falls through the cracks. There's such… I feel more fulfilled now than I ever have, working with other Guides, helping new Guides. It's amazing, and everything I could wish for, and I want other Guides to know this feeling too."

"I know what you mean," Steve said, smiling. "I had Bucky, growing up, and he was all I needed, but I think I always knew I was meant for bigger things. He thought I was crazy, but I just couldn't help but think that there was… some fate, out there, waiting for me."

"Turns out, you're not crazy at all," Maria said. "And if not for that feeling, we'd have never found each other."

"And out of everything, I'm most grateful for that," Steve said. "For finding you. After I woke up from the ice, after Howard explained Sentinels to me, I worried that maybe my Guide was back in the 40s and I'd missed my perfect match. Turns out she was waiting for me in a new century."

"Took you seventy years to find me, but you did," Maria said, smiling softly at him.

"Yes, it did," Steve said, his own smile a reflection of hers. "I love you."

"And I love you," Maria said. "Sentinel."

Steve smiled as the rightness of that washed over him. "Guide."

~Finis


End file.
